Shonie Carter vs. Luke Stewart official for June 27 Strikeforce

http://mmajunkie.comLongtime MMA veteran and former UFC fighter Shonie Carter (39-19-7) will make his Strikeforce debut when he meets one of the organization’s top prospects, Luke Stewart (5-1).

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported the possibility of the fight last month and on Monday received confirmation from Strikefoce Vice President Mike Afromowitz that the bout was recently signed.

The fight will be part of a June 27 event that takes place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and airs live on HDNet.

The event is headlined by a championship bout between Strikeforce world lightweight Gilbert Melendez and challenger Josh Thomson.

Carter, who’s been competing professionally for more than a decade, appeared on the “comeback” fourth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” and is 5-1 since losing to Marcus Davis soon after the show. He most recently defeated Demi Deeds at a May 30 Primetime Fighting Championships event.

Stewart, meanwhile, looks to rebound from his first career loss. The submission specialist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt posted five straight stoppages — four in the first round — before suffering a unanimous-decision loss to veteran Tiki Ghosn at Strikeforce’s March event in San Jose.

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.